Construct of the Week #24

Construct: Dangerous Games

 

 

Generated by: Guy Gardner and Kilowog

Appeared in: Green Lantern #210 (vol.2), 1986

An Emerald Flash…

 

Green Lantern has joined forces with many heroes over the years in his battle against evil-doers but the team-up that is best loved by most fans is Green Lantern and The Flash.  From the long running partnership of Hal Jordan and Barry Allen to the rivalry turned friendship between Kyle Rayner and Wally West there are few stories that can hold a torch in the heroic stakes to the adventures of the Emerald Crusader and The Fastest Man Alive.

 

My favourite tale dates back to the Silver Age, 1966 to be precise, when the Green Guardian meets long-time foe Major Disaster for the first time.  The whole rip-roaring saga takes place in the pages of Green Lantern #43, volume 2.

Cleaning up after a series of seemingly natural disasters should have been easy work for our superheroes but right in the middle of their mission both Hal and Barry suddenly lose control of their powers. 

 

 

The storms and earthquakes, of course, are far from ordinary occurrences.  Common criminal Paul Booker had learned the secret identities of both GL and The Flash and began to plot their downfall as the pinnacle of his nefarious career.  To this end he hired a group of scientists to create a machine that controlled the weather and could stir up geological catastrophes on his command.

 

 

Added to this, in their very own freaky Friday moment, the boffins were able to swap the two heroes powers from one to the other.  Thus far Major Disaster’s plan was working perfectly.  Not realising they had control of their friend’s abilities, Hal and Barry assume they are now completely powerless.  What the Major had not counted on was the heroic spirit possessed by both men.

 

Rather than pack up and go home our champions resolve to come together to tackle their deadly adversaries.  Relying on fighting spirit and the “Justice League tactics” of working as a team they make swift work of Disaster’s cohorts.

Later, as Hal tries to recharge on his hidden power battery, the true extent of their peculiar position becomes obvious to them.  

 

 

Instead of replenishing the Lantern’s ring as expected, the green energies power up the Scarlett Speedster standing next to him.

 

Naturally Hal has also become lighting fast.  Within moments of making the realisation the two superheroes are back in action.

 

 

Meanwhile Major Disaster continues to wreak havoc on a crime spree across Coast City and Central City with his dastardly machine providing cover.  Green Lantern and The Flash follow in his wake rescuing the embattled citizens of both metropolises.  The fact that they are in control of powers that are unfamiliar to them gives them no pause in their pursuit of the rogue weather-master.  Hal zips and zooms around landslides and ice-storms while Barry deftly forms emerald constructs to hold back floods and stem the spread of forest fires.

 

 

Although they do eventually work out how to transfer their powers back again it is ironic that they don’t get the chance to bring their opponent to justice.  Feeling the heat of the incredible duo on his tail Booker becomes the architect of his own doom.  In his haste he forgets to don the insulated gloves that protect him from his sinister machine.  The contact causes an explosion that destroys the device and takes the unwitting villain along with it.  In the end it is his lifeless corpse that the superheroes discover in the rubble.

 

Or is it?  This is comic books after all…

 

 

Green Is The Colour… And Red… And Blue…

 

 

Guy Gardner - Warrior!

This jaw-dropping image leaves little doubt that the most controversial member of the Green Lantern Corps is every inch a hero, from the tips of his spiky red hair to the toes of his shiny green boots.

The artwork is one of many DC Comics inspired creations from the graphic designer known as ColourOnly85.  This uber-talented artist has set himself the extremely bold challenge of producing an illustration of every character appearing in the DC universe before 14 June 2013 – the date that the much anticipated Superman movie, Man of Steel sees general release.

Impossible I hear you say.  And yes, maybe so.  But let me tell you, ColourOnly85 is making a damned good go of it!

I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with the man himself to find out a bit more about the Man of Steel project and the inspiration behind this daunting undertaking.

 

 

FP:  Thank you for taking time out of your busy art schedule to share a few words with 'Flodo's Page'.  This is a massive project you have set for yourself - to illustrate all of the DC characters before the Man of Steel movie comes out in June.  What inspired you to create this challenge?

CO85:  Thanks for giving me time to share a little bit about ColourOnly85, very grateful.

Well it all happened a bit randomly.  I got caught up doing a lot of graphic design work and realised I hadn't given much time to just design and create for the fun of it.  At the same time I was getting really excited about the new Man of Steel movie, so I thought it would be fun to do a Superman piece in aid of it.  It was whilst doing the Superman illustration I thought 'why not do some other DC Characters, ' and after that the thought of doing more artwork dedicated to Man of Steel popped into my head.   So I decided to turn what I was doing into a challenge to try and draw all the characters before the movie is released.

FP:  Last I checked you had released character #115 which is an amazing accomplishment but there have been a lot of characters in the DCU over the last 60 years or so!  How many more illustrations have you got left in you?

CO85:  Thanks so much!  I'm now on #120 and in the grand scheme of things I know I've got a LOT of catching up to do.  But I've definitely got it in me to do all the characters (although unfortunately it looks like the bulk will likely come after the deadline).  But I like to stay optimistic, so I'm still going to try and work towards June 14th anyway.

FP:  You obviously love comics and movies. Which do you enjoy more?  Is there a comic book or film that holds a special importance for you?

CO85:  That's a tough one, but I would have to say movies.  I love getting lost in comics and LOVE seeing the talent in the artwork that's created in them.  But there isn't much I enjoy more than going to the cinema or kicking back at home and getting lost in a good film, I love the escape of it.  With today's visual effects at such a high level as well, it just makes me love films even more!

In terms of a favourite film, I can't honestly say I have one.  Sci-Fi and fantasy films are definitely my favourite genre but I couldn't point out a single film as my favourite.  I know that's an 'easy way out answer' but it's true …haha. 
 

 

FP:  Your work is awesome and, as your Twitter name suggests, your creations are in colour only.  No lines.  What inspired you to follow this style?

CO85:  In terms of the style, I really wanted to do something different, especially in terms of presenting comic book characters.  I think at the moment, the traditional clean graphic style is what we are very used to seeing and which is incredible.  But I really wanted to come from a totally different angle.  So I took some time to just try a few ideas out and I finally developed the idea of geometric shapes and minimalism without lines to define the object and the ColourOnly85 style was born from that.

FP:  It seems like you produce your illustrations really quickly.  You sometimes post 3 or 4 works at a time on Twitter.  How long does it normally take to create a piece?  What do you use for reference? For example, do you look for lots of images of Kyle Rayner and then pick one you like to base a new illustration on?

CO85:  Producing a piece takes about 2 to 3 hours on average and what I try to do is work on 3 or more at one time.  Jumping between different characters helps me keep the ideas fresh in my head and makes the experience a lot of fun.  Getting the free time to design is the hard part.  Sometimes there are weeks where I will produce lots and weeks where there may only be 1 or 2 designs.  It can be really really tricky.

In terms of the actual designs, I will either use a popular or particularly striking image for reference.  That way I can deliver something fans are familiar with but in a new way.  Or I will use a pose that I think reflects the character well.  I took a lot of time to build a massive library of action poses which I use for reference and which are a massive help when illustration. 

 

 

FP:  Of the DC illustrations you have created so far which is your personal favourite and why?  Is there a character that you haven't illustrated yet that you are really excited about producing?

CO85:  Hmm...  At the moment the Batman image is my favourite.  It was the image that really convinced me that the style of illustration I was doing could work.  I also just had a blast doing it, so there are a lot of good memories I have associated to that piece.

In terms of a character I'm looking forward to doing, I'd say Kilowog.  I really like his character and Green Lanterns are my favourite DC Characters so I can't wait to do him.

FP:  I have to ask - apart from DC is there one character, be it comics, movies or the real world even, that you would like to give the ColourOnly85 treatment to?

CO85:  Man, awesome question, so tricky though.  There's so much to choose from!  I'm a MASSIVE Avatar: The Last Airbender fan (and also the new Legend of Korra TV show).  But Toph in particular is my absolute favourite so I would say I would like to do a ColourOnly85 version of her the most.  
 

 

FP:  Finally, I don't want to take up too much of you time but I'm sure your fans want to know, is there anywhere they can buy your work, either originals or reprints?

CO85:  I have an Etsy shop but only have two characters available at the moment.  I've decided I'm going to slow down on selling the prints until summer to help me deal with the workload.  There is just so much I'm working on at the moment.  Plus my main concern is getting the artwork out there for the fans to see.  I am in discussion with some individuals where I'm trying to get the prints out more effectively, so watch this space and I'll keep you posted as to how things come along.

FP:  Thanks again for taking the time to do the blog.  I wish you the very best of luck with your Man of Steel challenge and I will certainly be looking out for more of your fantastic creations in the future.  I hope we can expect a few more Green Lanterns in the line-up!  Kilowog maybe?

CO85:  It's been my pleasure and an honour.  Thank you so much for your support and taking the time to do the interview. And again a massive thank you to everyone who has been supporting me so far, the feedback and encouragement and way everyone has been spreading the word about the artwork has blown me away!

Haha…  Kilowog is definitely one of the greats, I'll make sure I add him to the list and see if I can deliver something special just for you.  

 

You can follow ColourOnly85’s progress on his Tumblr page or catch up with him on Twitter @ColourOnly85 and check out your favourite DC Comics heroes as you have never seen them before!


 

Construct of the Week #23

Construct: Battle Beast

Generated by: Kyle Rayner

Appeared in: Green Lantern #62 (vol.3), 1995

Yellow Lantern - A Reflection

Yellow.  The colour of fear.  The antithesis of will.  The ying to a Green Lantern's yang.  The reflection in the mirror.

So who was the first Yellow Lantern?

Why, Sinestro of course!  Any half decent comic book fan can tell you that.  And yes, in a sense he was.  After all, Thaal Sinestro has been wielding a yellow power ring since Green Lantern #9 (vol.2) way back in 1961. But he was not the first DC character to wear the uniform of Yellow Lantern.

That honour goes to the Bizarro analogue of Green Lantern who appeared in Superman #379 (1983) and was a member of the Justice League from the suitably bizarre planet Htrae.

The Bizarro Green Lantern was created by Superman's crystaline counterpart using a warped duplicator ray.  In #379 the inhabitants of the strange world began to explode without explanation.  For those of you who are on the edge of your seat over this mystery, it transpired that an ugly giant space cloud was feeding on the Bizarros' energies.  The day was eventually saved when Earth's very own Superman joined forces with a good Bizarro Lex Luthor (opposites remember!) to defeat the creature.  The exploded Bizarros including Yellow Lantern and the Justice League pop back into existence and all's well that ends well.

With the 'Crisis On Infinite Earths' our cowardly hero was retconned out of continuity but a good idea is hard to put down and when the cube shaped planet Htrae is born again into the new DC universe, Geoff Johns and Richard Donner weren't long in writing the yellow clad Bizarro Lantern back into the pages of Action Comics.

Of course, this time the creature wasn't the only ring slinger around sporting a black and yellow jumpsuit.  With Johns on the scene it wasn't long before this new iteration of the character was recruited into the fear worshipping Sinestro Corps.  Perhaps not their most successful warrior but for us readers he is the unsung inspiration of them all.

You Just Know Me Too Damn Well

There was a time when making the hard decisions didn't always mean that John was going to kill you...

Green Lantern #24 (vol.3), 1992

A Time Before Constructs

It's hard to believe now but there was a time back in the early days of the Silver-Age that Green Lanterns didn't create anything they could imagine using only Will and an innocuous looking decorative bauble.  Back then power rings deployed a solitary green beam possessing all manner of wondrous properties which were often very different to the abilities we are familiar with today.

I was amused to stumble across this panel in a reproduction of Green Lantern #6 (vol.2), 1961, showing an incapacitated Hal Jordan on the plant Aku .  He must complete his mission to rescue the local populace from the snares of tyrannical doppelgangers and so he conjures up a perfect double of himself using his ring's energy.

The editor, credited as Julius Schwartz, is careful to point out that creating an image "out of thin air" is something we should not expect a Green Lantern to be capable of under normal circumstances.  It is only thanks to the unique properties of the "super-magnetic field" of the planet Aku that we are able to witness such an extraordinary feat here.

I wonder what old Julie along with writer John Broome and penciller Gil Kane would say if they knew that, in a future version of the mythos they'd pioneered, making constructs would be the first thing that every new recruit to the Green Lantern Corps would learn at rookie school?

Construct of the Week #22

 

Construct: Meteor Pool 

 

Generated by: Hal Jordan

 

Appeared in: Green Lantern #172 (vol.2), 1983



Guy Gardner's space pinball has nothing on these skills...

B’ZZD REVIEW – RED LANTERNS #16

Brightest:

- Possibly due to his reluctance to completely relinquish the hold on his human side, Rankorr has the unique ability among the Red Lanterns of generating constructs.  Unlike the Green Lanterns Corps he does not have complete control of his creations.  He is attacked by a giant manifestation of his late grandfather made real by the insecurities of his own mind.  He realises the power he possesses and refuses to fall for Bleez’s seductions when she tries to manipulate the male Lantern so as to share his dubious gift.  She would make a formidable force if she managed to couple her singularly venomous rage with the potential to produce deadly weapons with a mere thought .

- Another exciting element of Red Lanterns #16 is the hook of slowly introducing the Inversions again.  In this issue they confront Ratchet who stumbled into their lair.  They are hugely ominous.  Peter Milligan has excelled himself in conjuring a dread around these creatures that leaves us with little doubt of the danger they pose to Atrocitus and his followers.   And with the sudden appearance of Krona’s ghostly projection on the final page I am at last on board with the cliff-hangers in this book.  I want to know what comes next.

Blackest:

- The art was a bit ragged at times.  It had none of the horror that we have been spoiled with by Miguel Sepulveda.  The fill-in penciller was Andres Guinaldo.  He didn’t seem overly familiar with the characterisation we’ve had previously.  Rankorr and his compatriots lack their usual menace as do the Inversions.  I was slightly confused when there appear to be six members to the notably named the ‘Five Inversions’.

- The Manhunters.  I can’t quite explain this one which I realise is of very little use in a written medium but there was something that just seemed a little off.  They chatter witlessly like some two-bit henchman from a Batman book.  Like one of the Riddler’s goons.

Beware its power…

- The original Sepulveda cover is staggering.  Atrocitus cuts the figure of a tyrannical war lord, clutching an enflamed Green Lantern flag - or Guardian tabard perhaps!  His terrifying Manhunter army fly in formation behind him.  They stretch out into the distant and each one brandishes a decapitated skull.  Explosions of blinding red and green energy light the sky behind them all.  This is a cover that demands attention.

 

 

 

A History Lesson; or, Comics in Unusual Places

A scholarly fellow with whom I am acquainted contacted me out of the blue today to ask, "How long has there been a Green Lantern in Earth's sector?"  Keen to impress with my knowledge (which doesn't happen very often with this particular gentleman), I was just about to share all I know about a billion year old Corps and the first publication dates of both the Golden-Age and Silver-Age Green Lantern titles when he came back with, "1643?"

Now I was thoroughly confused and demanded further explanation.  It transpired my friend was locked in the study of a historic sermon addressed to the British House of Commons when he came across the following passage:

 

"the darknesse of the blackest nights was past over without feare, and in so great security, as the light of the fairest dayes."

 

 

A coincidence perhaps but you've got to wonder if Robert Baylie (1599 - 1662), minister for Glasgow, was a little bit clairvoyant, or had even been the recipient of a visitation by a strange green figure from the stars...

 

 

 

 

 

B'ZZD REVIEW - GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #16

Welcome to the first B'zzd review, a short format blog post named after the tiny wasp-like sector partner of Mogo who showed size was irrelevant when he defeated the formidable Sinestro Corps usurper, Mongul. Basically the trials of real life (and a little laziness) have made it impossible to keep up with my own self-imposed review schedule. So in future I am going to mix up my standard spoiler articles with these punchy little B'zzd reviews. So without further ado...

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #16

 

Brightest:

- For the first time since Kyle's quest to master the emotional spectrum began I feel he has actually been challenged with his struggle to obtain the violet energy of love. His refusal to battle to the death with former father figure, Ganthet, shows what a great writer Tony Bedard can be when he is at his best. This is what I had hoped to get from this story arc all along.

- Kyle's back story seems to be suffering from a fair amount of New 52 confusion of late. It is not clear (to me anyway) how much of his life as the GL torchbearer has been retconned. Certainly the party he hosts for Ganthet doesn't fit with any version of events that I am familiar with but it does have the bonus Easter egg of the first reference in the post-Flashpoint universe to historic fan favourites like G'Nort and Arisia.

Blackest:

- Aaron Kuder's art is a welcome improvement on recent fill-in artists but he does not seem to have got to grips Kyle's look at all. In the party scene mentioned above where Kyle appears without his mask I was confused to see two John Stewarts standing inches from one another!

- The only other problem that I had with GL:NG #16 was the couple of panels where they attempted to tie in Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #1.  I thought it was a mistake in that book to include the current New Guardian line-up with the story that Keith Giffen wanted to tell and I think it’s a mistake to drag up the memory again here as Star Sapphire and her merry ring-slingers returnfrom their sci-fi misadventure.

Beware its power:

- Without a doubt the most amazing moment of this whole book is when Kyle becomes a White Lantern.  The culmination of 16 months of build-up from when the coloured rings first sought out the Green Lantern in the very first issue, through his transformation into an out of control Mega-Lantern in GL:NG #2 and the gathering of his power in the last few issues.  Ganthet drills him with an energy blast from behind, a kill shot.  The power of the seven emotions come together in that moment and breathes life back into his broken body.  New colourist Wil Quintana deserves a medal for his work throughout these pages but in the full page splash of Rayner embracing the spectrum and transcending all of its facets he truly excels himself.  I haven’t felt like this good about Kyle since Green Lantern #145 (vol. 3) when Kyle defeated Nero in the ‘Battle of Fire and Light’ and became Ion.  The Third Army and their twisted masters, the Guardians of the Universe, had better stand well back because White Lantern is coming to Oa and he isn’t going to be pulling his punches.

 

 

 

Changing Of The Guardians - A New Era For Green Lantern

  Last week DC Comics announced via the Associated Press that Geoff Johns will be ending his legendary run on Green Lantern with issue #20 (vol. 5).  l received the news via Twitter. I am lucky to be counted among the Green Lantern Twitter community and my thanks goes out to all the Fanterns who are kind enough to include me in their discussions.

Geoff has done much work in expanding the GL mythos and I would be frustrated if he was replaced by someone who did not cherish the source material as he does.  My favourite fanboy catchphrase is “In Johns we trust.”  As well as the obvious disappointment of losing one of the greats, my immediate thoughts after reading the news were occupied with the future.  If I were in control at DC I would switch Peter J. Tomasi up to the main Green Lantern title and get Tony Bedard back to what he does best writing Green Lantern Corps. Green Lantern: New Guardians would make a great title for a new creator to find their feet in the massive and presumably daunting world of the GL universe.  I tweeted my fanciful wish list to mixed reaction.

Imagine my surprise then the following day when further news hit my feed that it wasn't just Geoff that was moving on.  It was all change at GL with writers calling it a day on all four lantern books.  While other fans cried 'foul' to DC I couldn't believe my luck. I was convinced my premonition would come to pass.  In my interpretation of Johns' blog post on DC’s own website he is bequeathing the upkeep of the legacy to Tomasi.  Of course, you could take it as a final thank-you to Tomasi before he too moves on to pastures new but I chose not to.

Johns won't be completely detached from the green as he shifts his focus over to Justice League.  In light of the news of his departure it seems like Simon Baz might be a bit of a parting gift from Johns to himself.  Only the Chief Creative Officer of DC could get away with creating a brand new lantern to pack in his box of tricks for his new project.  Solicits reveal Baz will be feature in the government sanctioned super team, Justice League of America.

 

I am hoping for a bold ending from Geoff Johns for a run that rescued the franchise from relative obscurity in 2004 and put the character front and centre in the DC Comics line up.  Perhaps more so than ever before.  I mentioned in a previous post that I think he should decimate the coloured Corps of the emotional spectrum and strip Green Lantern back to basics.  This would give whoever takes over a fresh crack at the whip without being encumbered with the heavy burden of living up to Johns' legend. With the levels of power wielded by the First Lantern in the current crossover arc a complete do-over is entirely possible.

I don't know where this tactic would leave New Guardians. Perhaps the book will be ended which I hope is not the case.  As an alternative direction Kyle and whoever joins him could be literal Guardians of the white light of life.

Personally I am just about done with Red Lanterns in its current format despite my anticipation of the Inversions return. Maybe some new blood (no apologies for the double meaning) could be just what this title needs.

The impact of Johns’ departure cannot be underestimated.  At the same time he leaves behind a comic book franchise that is in high demand from the fans.  A few readers may drop off and follow him to his other books but then again, if DC play their cards right, this could be the jumping on point for new readers who missed out on the fresh beginnings experienced in most other titles with the publication of the New 52.

Only this morning fellow lantern aficionado @CorwinC sent me a link to the news released via MTV Geek revealing the names of all of the writers and artists who will be taking the reins of the GL universe.  As ever, my predictions were 100% wrong.  All four titles (possibly five if the debate around Larfleeze breaking out of Threshold holds water) have brand new creative teams.  A clean sweep.  Not that I am disappointed.  Robert Venditti has had nothing but good press for his work on X-O Manowar at Valiant Comics.  And Billy Tan’s first art release speaks for itself.  They will be working together on the main Green Lantern title.  Similarly the other names in the mix are being lauded as team-ups with great potential.  I'm excited to be in on the ground floor of a new era in the lantern mythology.  Venditti has already set himself a massive challenge in his first interview since the news broke, “If we execute the story the way we hope to, it’ll tie together every Lantern of every Corps who has ever appeared in any comic book.  Ever.  We’re going all in.”  I only hope he realises he is talking about a billion years of history here!
 

Green Lantern by Billy Tan

From the way things have been shaping up in recent books it looks like the Guardians of the Universe are on the way out too.  What this means for the Corps remains to be seen.  It is worth recalling the last time the Guardians disappeared from our pages in the mid-80s leaving the Corps to fend for themselves.  Hal Jordan, John Stewart and co. formed the Green Lantern Corps of Earth while Flodo Span and his companions became the Green Lantern Corps of the Klyminade.  Will power endured, the Corps survived and the Guardians returned because in comics nothing is forever.  The same is true of the printed page and the publishing office.  In recent times Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman and others have returned to the characters that made them famous and there is no reason why we couldn’t be saying the same thing about Geoff Johns in the not too distant future.  And it sounds like we have a lot to look forward to with our new Green Lantern creators in the meantime.  